DUBAI/NEW DELHI: India on Tuesday confirmed that one of its nationals was killed and 10 others were injured after two UAE oil tankers were struck in an Iranian missile attack while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the UAE vessels, MT Al Bahiyah and MT Mombasa, were carrying 46 crew members, including 30 Indian seafarers.
According to the ministry, 12 Indians were on board MT Al Bahiyah. One crew member was killed and another injured. On MT Mombasa, 18 Indian nationals were among the crew, with nine sustaining injuries, including two reported to be in serious condition.
The MEA said it had summoned the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Iranian Embassy in New Delhi to protest over the attacks.
India condemned what it described as attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, expressing concern over the renewed escalation of hostilities in the region.
“The targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in the region must cease,” the ministry said, calling for an immediate end to violence and the restoration of safe navigation through international waterways.
Earlier, the UAE Ministry of Defence said two national crude oil tankers were hit by Iranian cruise missiles while transiting the southern shipping lane of the Strait of Hormuz within Omani territorial waters.
The ministry said the attack killed one Indian crew member and injured eight others, including two Ukrainian nationals. Four of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.
The missile strike also caused significant damage to both vessels and sparked fires on board, which were later brought under control, according to the ministry.
The UAE strongly condemned the attack and said it reserved the right to respond to what it described as a serious escalation. It added that the armed forces remain on the highest level of readiness to protect the country’s security and national interests.
ADNOC Logistics & Services also confirmed that its Very Large Crude Carrier Al Bahiyah and the chartered Mombasa B sustained significant damage in the attack.
The company expressed condolences to the family of the deceased seafarer and wished those injured a speedy recovery.
“ADNOC L&S strongly condemns this attack on civilian shipping and the innocent seafarers serving aboard its vessels,” the company said, adding that it is working with emergency responders and relevant authorities as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, an official at India’s Ministry of External Affairs told Gulf Daily Mail that the ministry has launched an investigation into the incident.
